KENT, WA, FEBRUARY 17, 2018 – Washington State Judo Championships

Straight Blast Gym of Montana’s Stella Davison is one step closer to making the USA Olympic Judo Team.

Davison placed 1st in the International Judo Federation Junior Division at the Washington State Judo Championships.

The 16-year-old athlete and green belt in Judo is reaching for the USA Olympic Judo team. The tournament in Washington is one of many that Davison will compete in this year to rise to the level of Olympic athlete.

Davison said of the experience, “What a great way to start this year’s competitions, and this is only the beginning. I’m looking forward to many more successful tournaments. I will continue to train hard and make the improvements needed to be the best! As always, thank you so much to everyone who continues to support me and goals.”

Davison trains with SBG’s Coach Sean Saadi, a black belt in Judo. Saadi said of the results, “We’ve been preparing since July last year for the 2018 season. Becoming the WA State Champion was a good warm-up to the 7 national tournaments we have planned for 2018. Stella is poised to make Team USA and start climbing the international ranking ladder very soon.”

Davison will leave March 2nd for Pennsylvania, where she will try to earn a spot on the national team.

SBG Bigfork’s Will Allen and Head Coach Cody Bessette medaled in the Northwest Open Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Tournament in Spokane, WA on Saturday, January 6th. This marks SBG Bigfork’s second tournament since opening its doors in September.

Allen won two gold medals in Masters 1 White Belt Gi and No Gi Novice. He shared of the experience:

“This moment in my journey is one that I will never forget. It is inspiring to be led by Coach Cody. Without a doubt all of the successes garnished this past weekend are a direct result of his mentoring, teaching and coaching.”

Competitors from SBG Whitefish also participated in the event: Paul Downing, Bella Downing, and Tanner Downing. Bessette took the opportunity to coach these competitors while at the event.

Head Coach Cody Bessette shared:

“It was an honor to coach such wonderful people. The humility our tribe displayed was world-class. To have SBG North (Whitefish) and SBG Bigfork come together and represent the organization truly exemplifies what tribe is all about. I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of this experience with each one of our competitors. This is SBG, you will be okay!”

“Nine years ago when Kisa [Davison] and I were out of work and collecting unemployment we hatched a plan to start SBG Montana. I had been teaching a handful of guys Jiu Jitsu in my garage and at another person’s dojo and decided to pitch my idea to them at Moose’s Saloon. Ryan and Zach [Dickson] were there and opted to write checks for a year’s membership upfront. That money helped to open our first location and Ryan became a fixture on our mat.”

For Asay, that initial investment was “money well spent”. He shared:

“Little did I know that years later this small investment would improve my life exponentially and surround me with amazing men and women who push me and make me want to be better everyday.”

Asay’s journey is on of many stories of transformation that comes out of SBG Montana. For him, as well as many others, SBG is not only provides a physical activity but vastly improves his quality of life.

“Jiu Jitsu is powerful but without people it’s impossible, and the community at SBG deserves much of the credit for my accomplishments today and in the future. I cringe a little bit when I think of the path my life might have continued if I hadn’t made the right choice 9 years ago.”

Davison also shared the positive changes training made in Asay’s life, saying:

“He was a 19 year old kid when I met him and to say he was quiet and shy would be an understatement. I couldn’t be prouder of the man he has become or happier about his success and accomplishments.”

For belt promotions, SBG International celebrates with a tradition unique to the organization, which they call an “Ironman”. A student rolls with each and every teammate who attends the event, which can range anywhere from 40-50 people. The event culminates when the student rolls with their coach, who then awards them their new belt.

In addition to Coach Davison, Asay joins two other black belts from SBG Montana’s team: Coach Leah Taylor, who received her black belt from SBG President Matt Thornton and Coach Gus Nolte, SBG Montana’s first black belt. Nolte is now the Head Coach at SBG Missoula, which opened in November.

As SBG celebrates the opening of new locations in Bigfork and Missoula, they sent twenty competitors to the Revolution Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Tournament in Tacoma, WA. This marked a special event for SBG’s teams in Montana as athletes from all four locations came together to compete and support each other in the event.

Head Coach Travis Davison opened the first location in Kalispell in 2008, and in that time he has opened other Montana locations and lead athletes to tournaments throughout the West.

Davison said of the tournament:

“SBG opened its first location in Montana 9 years ago this December. We are now in 4 different cities including Kalispell, Whitefish, Bigfork, and Missoula. This past weekend all 4 of our locations were represented at the Revolution Tournament in Tacoma, WA and had athletes earning Gold medals. In total we sent 20 competitors from Montana and earned 11 Gold medals, 7 Silver, and 4 Bronze!”

SBG Bigfork Head Coach Cody Bessette was one of the 20 competitors from Montana to take home 22 medals. Bessette, a blue belt, won Gold in the Master’s division, Gold in the Men’s Intermediate No-Gi, and Bronze in the Absolute Division.

Bessette trained at SBG Montana before opening the location in Bigfork. He praised his tribe’s admirable performance at the tournament.

“Our Tribe doesn’t just build top notch competitors. We build well-rounded, respectful people who are willing to step out of their comfort zone to better themselves through adversity. The competition was strong in Tacoma and I am looking forward to going back to represent SBG in the future.”

Coach Daniel DiStefano from SBG North in Whitefish prepared his students for the tournament, while training to compete himself. DiStefano shared of his experience:

“SBG consistently shows that our small-town Montana team builds elite competitors. I had been chomping at the bit to compete, and knowing that I prepare with such a talented team made it much easier to step on the mats and perform to my potential. It was fun to grab the gold, and I look forward to the next challenge.”

PORTLAND, OR, OCTOBER, 1, 2017 – Submission Underground 5

Athletes from SBG Montana and SBG Portland stormed Submission Underground 5. The matches, which were a super fight, took place at the Roseland Theater in Portland, Oregon.

A super fight is one long match in which no points are awarded. The match either ends in submission or goes into three overtime rounds.

Competing for SBG were: Ricky Davison in no gi teen match, Stella Davison in no gi teen match, and Amanda Diggins on the Main Card event.

Ricky “Ticky Time Bomb” Davison made an astonishing win against Sage Brown, submitting him with an ankle lock. SBG Missoula Coach Gus Nolte said of Davison’s performance, “Ricky did a fantastic job. He did exactly what we predicted, fought according to strategy, and had control the whole time.”

Davison has been training at SBG Montana since the age of 5. At age 15, he trains at the level of a blue belt and is taking his training to higher-level competitions.

Davison shared of the experience, “I put the time in for this fight, and it was great to see the hard work pay off. This was my first super fight, and it was exciting to compete in a popular event that I’ve been watching for a while. My tribe was a huge help. Because of them, I had the motivation to step in the cage with the mentality to win.”

LAS VEGAS, NV, AUGUST, 26, 2017 – IBJJF Masters World Tournament

On the day he cornered UFC Fighter Conor McGregor in the biggest fight in sports history, SBG Ireland’s Coach John Kavanagh made the time for SBG athletes from around the world, who competed in the IBJJF Masters World Competition

Kavanagh, who is known for coaching McGregor in his successful fighting career, came out to support 27 of the international Brazilian Jiu Jitsu organization’s elite athletes on the world stage in Las Vegas from August 24th – August 26th.

Like Kavanagh several of the competitors are head coaches at their home gyms, balancing time between teaching and training.

And they made an impressive showing. Of those who competed, eleven medaled in their division, including Amanda Loewen of SBG Portland, who also took home bronze in the Absolute Weight Class Division.

The tournament was a momentous occasion for Straight Blast Gym, which celebrates its 25th anniversary since the founding of the international organization.

SBG Montana’s Coach Leah Taylor not only won gold in her division but also received a sponsorship from Fuji Sports.

Taylor said of the experience, “I won my first Masters black belt world championship and had two matches and finished both by submission. We were in Las Vegas the weekend that Conor McGregor of SBG Ireland made history by going 10 rounds with the best boxer in the world. It was an incredible experience and an epic weekend for our international teammates. Viva SBG!”

Many of the coaches have been training and growing with each other for several years and attribute their success to these trusted friendships.

SBG Elko Head Coach Chris Myers stated, “This was definitely the most successful day of competition ever for Straight Blast Gym International. Three new world champions were crowned. The support I felt from my team allowed me to relax and represent them and myself to the best of my ability. It does take a group effort to have success at these high levels and this group doesn’t plan on letting up any time soon.”

SBG Montana owner and mother of four, Kisa Davison, knows the challenges of training while raising a family and running a business. The purple belt regularly travels to tournaments to coach her students, but this time she attended the tournament to compete for herself, winning Bronze in her division.

Davison said of the experience, “I feel fortunate that there are women who are my age, weight, and belt level who also decided to take the plunge and for me to take the fight. It’s not easy for athletes with a full-time job and a family to care for to prioritize training, much less to travel to a competition on the international stage to test your skills, and I know personally what it takes to do that.”

GOLD

Amanda Loewen – Black / Master 1 / Female / Middle

Leah Roseanne Taylor – Black / Master 1 / Female / Medium-Heavy

Eryk Anders – Purple / Master 1 / Male / Super-Heavy

SILVER

Kasey Botelho – Purple / Master 2 / Female / Light

BRONZE

John Mark Frankl – Black / Master 4 / Male / Light

Amanda Loewen – Black / Master 1 / Female / Open Class

Anick Bernier – Brown / Master 1 / Female / Feather

Chris Myers – Brown / Master 2 / Male / Light

Kisa Marie Davison – Purple / Master 3 / Female / Feather

Jon Hobson – Purple / Master 6 / Male / Middle

Harry Eugene Bramel III – Purple / Master 5 / Male / Light

For more information about Martial Arts, Yoga, and Fitness, contact Straight Blast Gym at 406-752-7244, by email at info@sbgmontana.com, or by web.

LAS VEGAS, NV, AUGUST, 26, 2017 – Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather

To fans of boxing, the historic match between MMA’s top fighter, Conor McGregor, and boxing legend, Floyd Mayweather, may look like a loss. Mayweather beat McGregor by TKO, when McGregor fatigued in the 10th round. But fans of MMA know that McGregor won a much bigger fight than a single boxing match.

McGregor proved that when it comes fighting MMA is a superior skill set to boxing.

Because the first UFC was so long ago, people forget that those experiments were already run. Back then, there were no weight classes, no gloves, and really no rules other than no biting, fish hooking, or eye gouging.

When the early UFC fighters did those experiments and tested different fighting skills in that environment, jiu jitsu came out as the dominant sport. It proved far more effective than all the others.

Boxing fans and critics believe that MMA fighters are somehow beneath them, because their striking prowess is somehow inferior to that of a trained boxer. McGregor proved that MMA fighters can hold up in a boxing fight.

It was easier for Mayweather to look composed and relaxed, because he was competing in something that he’s done since he was a child.

But McGregor competed outside his comfort zone. He went into his opponent’s domain and won the first four rounds. He became fatigued and tired but only after competing for longer than anyone expected him to.

The fight proved that MMA fighters can do a whole lot better in the boxing realm than boxers could do in the MMA realm.

Not only are MMA fighters more adept at transferring their skill set to boxing, but MMA is a lot closer to a real fight than boxing is.

Boxing is just one component of MMA. If the roles had been reversed, even the best boxer in the world couldn’t survive more than a few seconds in the MMA world. Nobody on the planet thinks or believes that Mayweather would last a round – let alone a minute – had he met McGregor on his turf.

He went ten rounds with arguably the best boxer of all time, and he still never took a knee or was dropped. Boxers don’t spend any time training the clinch. Hand fighting and the clinch gave Mayweather problems, because it wasn’t conventional.

If McGregor had been able to throw elbows, knees, or kicks – fighting skills that he had but wasn’t able to use – Mayweather wouldn’t have stood a chance. The minute the fight hits the ground, Mayweather is going to be completely out of his element.

McGregor helped both MMA and boxing. Mayweather’s last few fights have been flops, and nobody wanted to watch them anymore. It took an MMA fighter getting in the ring to bring the sport back to life. McGregor pushed him and made him a more exciting fighter.

Three years ago, nobody thought this fight would ever happen. The whole boxing community thought it was a farce, and nobody thought he stood a chance.

Boxing fans can no longer deny the science and complexity of MMA. McGregor continues to do the unexpected and prove people wrong, and that’s what fans will remember.